The value of machine-guns is now so great that we cannot afford to be without them. In my opinion, each company should have one gun, and six men should be detailed to carry it and its ammunition. Thus, there would be 100 men with the machine-guns in a regiment (including four reserve men). The scout sections also did such useful service in the recent war that we ought certainly to have dismounted and small mounted scout sections in each regiment. This would take up 200 more men. Finally, the strength of every company, exclusive of all these extras, should be fixed at 250 rifles, which would make 4,000 in the regiment. The strength of a regiment would, therefore, total as follows: Combatants (in sixteen companies) 4,000 Scout sections 200 Machine-gun sections 150 Non-combatants 650 ――――― Total 5,000 The present establishment of a four-battalion regiment is 3,838 combatants and 159 non-combatants; total, 3,997. Therefore a total increase of 1,003 per regiment is desirable. Including fifteen men in every company for supply duties, the authorized non-combatant element works out at: Non-combatants 159 Bandsmen, drummers, buglers 69 Regimental quartermaster-sergeants 3 Sergeant-majors and baggage non-commissioned officers 6 For supply duties 240 ――― Total 477 Fixing the total number of non-combatants required at 650, I thus add to the expenditure authorized by existing establishments 173. These, including stretcher-bearers, would never go into action. Thus, the addition necessary to bring the fighting element of a regiment up to 5,000 comes out as follows: Increase of thirty rifles per company (so as to have 250 instead of 220) 480 Scout sections 200 Machine-gun sections 150 ――― Total 830 This increase would greatly add to its present strength. MACHINE-GUNS.